Open Wounds
by meshu11
Summary: set post 4x09 after Cooper and Charlotte return from the line-up.


This is set post 4x09 after Cooper and Charlotte return home from the police station after the line-up.

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><p>"Cooper."<p>

He looked up from where he was sprawled on the bed, not even pretending to read the journal in front of him. Charlotte was standing at the bathroom door and while her voice didn't betray her, she seemed hesitant.

"Can you help me with this?"

She gestured to a dressing in her hand, and he looked at her confused. As far as her knew, she didn't have any thing that would need dressed. Sensing his apprehension he watched her back away slightly and he rolled off the bed to his feet. He followed her silently into the bathroom and watched as it took all of her effort to drop the towel wrapped tightly around her. She was already in her pyjama bottoms, but her back was bare. She turned fully towards the basin before he could catch her eye and he was shocked to see the multicolour of bruising over her skin. He hadn't seen her this naked since the night of the attack. Lower he noticed the wound, deep and red – oozing ever so slightly.

He took the supplies she had taken out and knelt behind her. At this level he could tell that it had healed very little and he wondered how she had managed it on her own for so long. The thought of her struggling with it, hiding it along with everything else bought a quick prick of tears to his eyes, but he dismissed them with a sigh. He couldn't think about that tonight.

She had tensed at the feel of his breath against her skin and leaned into the basin for support. Just her reaction pained him somewhere deep in his chest. How was this his Charlotte?

"This will be cold and may sting a little."

Falling into doctor mode came naturally and he decided to rely on that for awhile, pushing away the wave of emotion the best he could. She sucked the air through her teeth as he swiped the antiseptic swab over the area, cleaning it from the inside out, just like he'd done countless times for his patients. However, he couldn't ignore that this wasn't a patient – this was Charlotte. The woman he loved, and she had been raped. He clenched his free hand against his knee, trying not to touch her. He could already see the slight tremble of her back.

While he waited for the antiseptic to dry he snuck a look at her. From where he sat he could see the swell of her breast, half-hidden by the cast arm she tried to hold protectively across herself. He raised his eyes to her reflection in the mirror. Her own eyes were closed and her breathing had changed to the inhale-exhale of someone trying to keep in control. He didn't linger any longer realising that she didn't need this exposure. Not after all that was exposed tonight. He quickly cut the bandage to size – securing it with tape – his fingers momentarily ghosting over her skin. He wanted to map out every bruise and commit it to memory, and at the same time he wanted to shake the two of them out of this nightmare.

Realising he was finished she stood abruptly and fumbled for her pyjama top, but he reached over her head and took it from her hand. She turned quickly and he kept his eyes on hers as he helped her into it.

"Thank-you."

Her voice was drained, the strain of the line-up finally catching up to her. She looked shattered, and he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear before he could even think. She didn't turn away though, and he left his hand cupping her face.

Anytime.

He wanted to say.

Tell me what you need.

He wanted to ask her.

What can I do?

How can I help?

Let me help you through this.

Though in reality he realised, he didn't really have a clue on what to do for her.

I love you.

He couldn't voice the feeling inside of him, so instead he just said her name

"Charlotte."

He ran his thumb across her cheek and her eyes welled for a moment. Tiredness, stress and shock breaking her down. He would never be used to seeing her like this, it made him ache. She surprised him by leaning into his touch before making her way to the bed. He stayed in the bathroom to clean up, finding her secret stash of bandages somewhere under the sink. His heart seized again thinking of her trying to handle this all on her own.

"Let me heal your wounds."

He wanted to tell her.


End file.
